The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cranberry variety having significantly higher yields, larger fruit size, more favorable bud set traits, tolerance to high levels of fertilizer, high red pigmentation and ability to produce excellent crops at an early age as compared to the leading commercial cultivar, ‘Stevens’.
The American cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait., is a small fruit grown commercially in the temperate regions of North America and Chile. The United States is presently the major producer of cranberries, with the combined Wisconsin and Massachusetts harvests accounting for the majority of U.S. and world annual production. Currently Wisconsin produces over half of the U.S. crop.
The American cranberry is well known for its tart flavor and its red pigment. The importance of adequate pigment content (measured as total anthocyanins or Tacy, and expressed as mg per 100 grams fresh fruit) is recognized by most processors as they are known to give a reduced value to poorly colored fruit. Cranberry selections widely grown today have generally not experienced the extensive breeding as seen in other fruit-bearing species. Many selections were derived directly from native areas or from managed beds of mixed origin. For example, ‘Ben Lear’ (unpatented) is a cranberry selection taken directly from the wild in Wisconsin in the early 1880's, and is widely grown in short-seasonal areas due to its early fruit development and high color content. The U.S. Department of Agriculture undertook, in cooperation with state experimental stations, one generation of breeding in an attempt to improve U.S. cranberry cultivars. The breeding resulted in the introduction of the ‘Stevens’ (unpatented) variety in 1950. The ‘Stevens’ variety is today the most widely grown cultivar and is characterized by dependably good yields, but only moderate color development, especially in short-seasonal regions such as Wisconsin.